The release of a troop of rehabilitated vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: outcomes and assessment

Rehabilitation and release have become central to the management and welfare of primate species in South Africa such as the vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops). However, limited research means that it is unknown whether rehabilitation is a successful management strategy for this species. This study describes the release of a troop of rehabilitated vervet monkeys and evaluates the results of 1 year of post-release monitoring. The released animals exhibited wild behaviours and established a home range. Survival could not be adequately evaluated due to the high number of untraceable animals, and troop composition was significantly different from that of wild troops. Improvement may be gained by radio-collaring more animals using improved technology, ensuring that troop composition is comparable to wild troops, excluding ex-pets from re-introduction and a more detailed assessment of the release site.     

Photoinduced Chemical Dynamics of High-Spin Alkali Trimers

Nanometer-sized helium droplets, each containing about 10(4) helium atoms, were used as an inert substrate on which to form previously unobserved, spin-3/2 (quartet state) alkali trimers. Dispersed fluorescence measurements reveal that, upon electronic excitation, the quartet trimers undergo intersystem crossing to the doublet manifold, followed by dissociation of the doublet trimer into an atom and a covalently bound singlet dimer. As shown by this work, aggregates of spin-polarized alkali metals represent ideal species for the optical study of fundamental chemical dynamics processes including nonadiabatic spin conversion, change of bonding nature, and unimolecular dissociation.     

Measurements of Mouldboard Plow Draft: I. Spectrum Analysis and Filtering

Measurements of mouldboard plow draft can potentially provide a useful tool for continuously mapping, as a surrogate variable, crop limiting soil properties such as soil strength/compaction. Numerous researchers have shown that loading on tillage tools can be periodic. One source of higher frequency periodic loading has been related to failure modes in the soil. Lower frequency periodic loading on tillage tools, assuming tillage depth is relatively constant, more often reflects local spatial variability in soil physical properties such as soil moisture, soil texture, organic matter, and/or soil strength/compaction. This study presents a spectrum and cross-spectrum analysis of mouldboard draft recorded during normal fall plowing operations along adjacent transects. One objective of this study was to determine the dominant periodic components in order to elucidate meaningful frequencies which might be better related to variation in soil physical properties. Spectral densities were generally dominated by signals with a few cycles per 300-m transect. The cross-amplitude and squared coherency between draft recorded on adjacent transects provided further indication of the frequencies which characterized the signals because they provide an indication of correlation as a function of frequency. Spatial dependence in the data was quantified using spatial autocorrelation and cross-correlation. An additional objective was to use the spectral information to help design more physically meaningful filters for the raw draft data. Taking the Fast Fourier Transform of the raw draft data and filtering in the frequency domain using an optimal filter informed via the spectrum and cross-spectrum analysis, provided a convenient method for isolating a more physically meaningful signal.     

Measurements of Mouldboard Plow Draft: II. Draft-Soil-Crop and Yield-Draft Associations

The primary objective of this investigation was to evaluate some potential causal associations between draft derived from a 3-bottom mouldboard plow during normal fall field operations and soil-crop properties at a field site near Winchester, Ontario, Canada. A secondary objective was to investigate, in a preliminary manner, associations between draft and crop yield (corn, soybean, and wheat). Regression tree analysis indicated that draft variability was best explained by field location, crop type, soil cone penetration resistance in the plow layer, and soil texture in the plow layer. Draft was found to generally increase with cone penetration resistance in the plow layer and soil clay content. Corn yields were negatively associated with draft. The reverse was true for the soybean yields, and a combination of negative and positive draft vs. yield relationships existed for the wheat plots. The overall results indicated that draft data collected during normal field operations can be useful for producers interested in identifying areas in the field where soil strength/compaction might be problematic with regard to crop yields.     

The occurrence of Cryptosporidium parvum,Campylobacter and Salmonella in newborn dairy calves in the Manawatu region of New Zealand

AIM: To determine the occurrence of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, Campylobacter spp and Salmonella spp in faecal samples taken from newborn dairy calves on 24 dairy farms in the Manawatu region of New Zealand.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the 2002 calving season. Faecal samples were collected from 185 newborn calves from a convenience sample of 24 dairy farms. The samples were tested microscopically for the presence of C. parvum oocysts, and bacteriologically for the presence of Campylobacter spp and Salmonella spp.

RESULTS: Infections with C. parvum were identified in 33/156 (21.2%) calves from 10 farms. More than 10⁶ oocysts/g (OPG) faeces were detected in calves from four farms. Campylobacter spp were isolated from 58/161 (36%) calves from 18 farms; in particular, C. jejuni subsp jejuni was isolated from 11/161 (6.8%) calves from seven farms. Salmonellae were not detected.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite the short and concentrated calving pattern and the long interval between calving seasons characterising most dairy farms in New Zealand, C. parvum is widespread among calves. Campylobacter spp, especially C. jejuni, rapidly colonise the intestinal tract of newborn calves.

RELEVANCE: This study provided an estimate of the ecological impact of newborn dairy calves with regard to the potentially zoonotic enteric pathogens most frequently isolated from human gastrointestinal infections in New Zealand.     

Farm management practices associated with macrocyclic lactone resistance on sheep farms in New Zealand

AIM: To identify farm practices associated with the presence of resistance to a macrocyclic lactone (ML) anthelmintic on sheep farms in New Zealand.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to test for associations between the presence of resistance to an ML anthelmintic (ivermectin) and management practices on sheep farms in New Zealand. Selection of farms was both random (n=80) and purposive (n=32; being farms with a history of suspected ML resistance). Resistance was inferred from faecal nematode egg count (FEC) reduction (FECR) tests (FECRTs) when there was <95% reduction in FEC 7–10 days after treatment with a half dose of ivermectin (0.1 mg/kg). A logistic regression model was built to identify farm-level factors that were associated with the presence or absence of ML resistance.

RESULTS: Of the 112 flock managers that were approached for interview, 103 (92%) returned useable questionnaires. The odds of ML resistance were increased: on farms that had used long-acting ML products in ewes as a pre-lambing treatment for ≥3 of the previous 5 years (odds ratio (OR) = 7.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.7–30.3); on farms where <70% of the total stock units mid-winter were from sheep (OR=6.5; 95% CI=1.6–25.6); on farms which over the year purchased ≥10% of the number of sheep present mid-winter (OR=7.1; 95% CI=1.5–34.7); and on farms where the average wool diameter of the main flock was <37 (OR=4.1; 95% CI=1.1–14.7) microns. The model provided a good fit to the data (pseudo R²=0.64; Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic = 0.38).

CONCLUSIONS: Explanatory factors identified as associated with the presence of ML (ivermectin) resistance on farms included the use of long-acting anthelmintic formulations in ewes pre-lambing, sources of refugia of unselected parasites on the farm, breed of sheep and their requirements for anthelmintic treatments, and the importing of resistant parasites with purchased stock. The study provides support for controls that aim to provide refugia of susceptible worms and that minimise the risk of introduction of resistance through effective quarantine-drenching.     

Prevalence of anthelmintic resistance on 62 beef cattle farms in the North Island of New Zealand

AIM: To establish the prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in parasitic nematodes on a random sample of beef cattle herds in the North Island of New Zealand.

METHODS: A cross-sectional prevalence study was conducted using a standardised faecal nematode egg count (FEC) reduction (FECR) test (FECRT) for ivermectin, levamisole and albendazole on 60 calves on each of 62 farms in the North Island chosen at random from farms that conformed with the selection criteria. Resistance to an anthelmintic was inferred when there was <95% reduction in FEC 7-10 days after treatment. Larval cultures were performed for all control groups and for treated groups for which resistance was evident.

RESULTS: Of the farms that completed the FECRT, 4/61 (7%) showed ≥95% reduction in FEC for all anthelmintics tested. Resistance to ivermectin was evident on 56/61 (92%) farms, to albendazole on 47/62 (76%) farms, and to both ivermectin and albendazole on 45/61 (74%) farms. Resistance to levamisole was evident on only 4/62 (6%) farms. The parasites most prevalent in resistant populations cultured were Cooperia spp. On 45/61 (74%) farms where Cooperia spp were present in suffi cient numbers, resistance to both ivermectin and albendazole was evident. No cases of levamisole-resistant Cooperia spp were detected. Resistance of Ostertagia spp to ivermectin was evident on 4/45 (9%) farms, to albendazole on 15/46 (35%) farms, and to levamisole on 4/46 (9%) farms.

CONCLUSION: Anthelmintic resistance in parasitic nematodes of cattle is common in the North Island of New Zealand. Beef farmers need to be aware of the risks posed by anthelmintic resistance, and routine FECR testing is recommended to ensure optimal productivity and to guide decision-making when purchasing anthelmintics to be used on-farm.     

Anthelmintic resistance in New Zealand

Anthelmintic resistance was first confirmed in New Zealand in 1979 and since then has become common-place; more than 50 % of sheep farms now have detectable levels of resistance to one or more chemical classes of anthelmintic. Farmer drenching practices have changed little over the last 15–20 years and are clearly exerting a significant level of selection for resistance. In the absence of new chemical classes of anthelmintics, current parasite control practices will be unsustainable in the long-term. Once substantial resistance has developed, significant reversion to susceptibility is unlikely and re-introduction of failed drugs is likely to result in the rapid re-emergence of control problems. The number of anthelmintic treatments applied is not necessarily a reliable indicator of selection pressure and should not be the only factor considered in strategies for minimising the development of resistance. The relative potential of the different anthelmintics now available, particularly the long- acting products, to select for resistance varies with the way they are used and with other epidemiological and management factors; generalisations about their respective roles in the development of resistance are often unreliable. In many cases, literal extrapolation of recommendations for the management of resistance from Australia to New Zealand is unsupportable, given the differences in climate, parasite ecology and farming practices between the 2 countries. In the absence of a refuge for susceptible genotypes, as occurs when anthelmintic treatments are used as a means of generating low-contamination ‘safe’ pasture for young stock, the rapid development of resistance is likely. Anthelmintic treatments applied to animals with a high level of immunity, or which become immune while the anthelmintic is active, are likely to select for resistance faster than treatments applied to non-immune stock.     

水稻对黑条矮缩病感病生育期研究初报

为明确水稻品种对黑条矮缩病的感病生育期,分别于水稻二、四、六、八、十叶龄期模拟田间发病条件对特特普和华粳6号两品种进行接种比较抗病性差异。结果发现八叶龄以内的特特普与十叶龄以内的华粳6号均表现为感病,十叶龄水稻品种则表现为不感病,随着叶龄的增加水稻品种对病害敏感程度呈下降趋势。这表明水稻品种不同生育期对黑条矮缩病感病性存在差异,而秧田期和本田前期是水稻对水稻黑条矮缩病感病性较强的时期,本研究结果可望为水稻黑条矮缩病综合防治策略的制定提供重要依据。     

三种氮源对绿色巴夫藻生长及细胞营养组成的影响

本文研究了5个浓度(0、0.9、1.8、3.5、7mmol/L)的3种氮源(硝酸钠、氯化铵、尿素)对绿色巴夫藻(Pavlova viridis)生长代谢的影响。结果表明绿色巴夫藻在尿素浓度为3.5mmol/L时生长最快,最大细胞密度达30.927*106个细胞。氮源及其浓度显著影响绿色巴夫藻叶绿素a和蛋白质的含量,叶绿素a在3.5mmol/L尿素时,含量最高为0.913μg/106个细胞。蛋白质在7.0mmol/L尿素时,含量最高为36.698μg/106个细胞。脂肪酸主要由16:0、16:1、20:5组成,氮源浓度为1.8mmol/LNaNO3时,EPA和多不饱和脂肪酸含量最高,占总脂的37.31%和45.88%。